J D Hayes has observed that emerging stayer Simurgh is straightforward to assess and will continue to progress through his classes.
Having secured three victories from six starts, including his most recent two, Simurgh is set to extend his winning sequence in the Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (2400m) at Sandown this Saturday.
The Irish-bred four-year-old, Simurgh, arrived at the Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will, and J D Hayes after achieving one win and a minor placing in three starts in Ireland under the care of Eddie and Patrick Harty.
Following a second-place finish over 1600m at Pakenham on his Australian debut, Simurgh has since recorded victories over 2000m at Caulfield on May 9 and May 30.
In his last start, Simurgh raced close to the pace to defeat Skippers Canyon, who is also competing on Saturday, and will now carry an additional 3kg for that triumph.
Ben Allen will take the reins on Saturday, replacing Craig Williams who rode Simurgh in his last two wins.
J D Hayes commented that Simurgh is developing well through the grades and shows promise as a stayer.
“We’re just taking him through his grades to boost his rating, but he’s got a great future ahead of him,” Hayes stated. “Hopefully we can ever so slightly raise the bar again with him and hopefully he can go along with it.”
Hayes indicated that the team is uncertain about the gelding’s ultimate potential this campaign, but the stable has not detected any signs of fatigue in his training.
“He’ll tell us. He’s a very easy horse to pick in the mornings,” Hayes remarked.
A potential trip north to the Sunshine Coast for the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on July 4 is being considered if Simurgh performs well on Saturday.
“It will be a thought, but we need to get through Saturday first,” Hayes added. “He needs to win to see whether he can take a trip to the warmer weather.”
Simurgh is the current favourite for Saturday’s race, priced at $3.60, ahead of another lightly raced emerging stayer, Straand Deal, at $3.90.
For those looking to place a wager, exploring Australian betting sites could offer competitive racing odds for the event.